Dinner! 2011

[Blether]

ChrisTaylor's Beyond the Roasted Leg thread left me with a hankering for lamb. I picked up a 1.7kg piece of lamb shoulder (1150yen/kg) and was left pondering what to do. Mince and burgers ? Cube and Indian ? Middle Eastern ? Pot roast ? But what I really wanted was that browned, roast, melting-fat lamb, so I googled 'roast lamb shoulder' and cheeky chap Jamie Oliver came to the rescue.

I pre-salted the lamb, tied it up into what seemed the best shape after 10 minutes of experimentation, and left it for 36 hours. After that I pretty much followed JO's MO, leaving out the garlic (didn't fancy it this time) and olive oil (what, oil the fat ?! Too much River Cottage Italianism there, methinks, Jamie-boy.

I gave it 3.5 hours in the oven, and tested it - well done by the feel of an inserted fork; yet not in the falling-apart category yet. It's hard when a recipe is accompanied by a picture showing a bone-in roast, but the recipe mentions nothing about the bone - is the timing for bone-in ? Rolled ? In the natural, varied-thickness piece ? I put it back in for the additional 30 minutes, and removed the foil in deference to the level of browning and the level of combined fat-and-juices that had already reached the level of the roasting rack. Thirty minutes later:

Served with colcannon aka stamppot, for no other reason than that I'd cabbage and spuds to hand, and the continuing bounty of spring chives to lend an enticing accent. Gumption failure stopped me short of gravy, so I served it with simple pan juices poured over:

Roast lamb shoulder with the barest hint of rosemary; colcannon with salt, pepper, butter and chives. Mmm-mm.

Edited April 22, 2011 by Blether (log)

[ChrisTaylor]

My Alinea-inspired dinner. I tried to stay true to the flavour profiles and intent of the dishes. I'd like to build up a small collection of texture-enhancing agents to do the recipes properly. Apologies for the qualities of the photos. Most of the photos I upload, I take with my DSLR. These were taken with an old camera with a, er, 'handy' automatic focus feature.

The sour cream component of the dish. The sour cream was partly frozen and laced with salt and sumac (to provide the sourness the sorrel lends to Alinea's version). I used dill because, you know, dill ... seafood ... sour cream. And, too, the pink peppercorns.

A sliver of room temperature smoked salmon sits atop the sour cream. The recipe says to use grated, frozen smoked salmon. I tried this the first time I made the dish and it was nice, but I wanted a contrast of temperatures. Too, cleaning paste-like smoked salmon from a fine grater is easily one of the worst jobs in the world. Particularly when you're doing it a few hours after the event.

I'm rubbish at presenting things. Just don't have the eye or hand/eye co-ordination skills for it. The dish contains beef (in the form of a rump steak--I cooked it on a grill pan as I don't have a sous vide setup at the moment). The sauce is Indonesian sweet soy sauce. The salad underneath the slices of beef is made of cucumber, honeydew melon, coriander leaves and pink peppercorns. It's dressed with lime juice (as is the beef). Aside from the sous vide/pan-frying thing, the only thing I changed from the book was the use of lime. Without a dehydrator I couldn't make the lime sugar. I figured the sweet soy (as opposed to the regular soy sauce the book specifies) would provide the sweetness of the lime sugar.

The main course and the worst of the photos. This was the most elaborate dish--something the photo doesn't really highlight. Instead of the cheek I specified in the recipe I used spare ribs. I've tried a couple times to get the local butchers to order in a pig's head but I hit dead ends. The ribs were marinated in a mixture of white wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, onion, carrot, leek and various spices: bay leaves, allspice, caraway seeds, cloves and black pepper. I cooked them at 75 degrees for a couple of hours and then put them aside. They were finished in the grill pan. The sauce was based largely on Worcestershire sauce and was flavoured with caramelised onion, garlic and sultanas (the recipe said raisins--when I was at the shop I remembered (incorrectly, it seems) that I already had raisins and, given today was Good Friday, I couldn't just walk to the supermarket and correct my mistake). The brown stuff is a mixture of toasted rye bread and grated gruyere. The pork sat on a bed of caramelised onion laced with caraway seeds and, too, some of the sultanas from the sauce--in the book they use a dehydrator to make a caramelised onion and caraway salt, but again, I don't have such awesome toys on hand. Instead of the pickled ramps I made some pickled spring onions.

The dessert: chocolate and avocado. This is where I moved away from the recipe altogether. I struggle with basic desserts--pliable ganache is a leap too far for me. There's the first quenelle (of ganache or anything else) I ever made sitting atop a chocolate shortbread (which is meant to represent, I guess, the cruncy chocolate component of the recipe). There's also a mint leaf, licorice powder (which I made by grating a licorice lolly--if you ever do this for some daft reason, don't do it hours beforehand and store it in the fridge, as it just clumps together again) and lime juice (I'd have used the zest if I wasn't using waxed supermarket limes). The goo you see is avocado oil. The recipe calls for a puree of avocado--and that would've been a piece of piss if I still had my food processor. If I was to do the dessert again, and I probably will at some point, I'd suck it up and make a rough avocado puree with a mortar and pestle.

[djyee100]

An amazing dinner, Chris. You did some serious damage in the kitchen, I see. Did any of the dishes surprise you? disappoint you? which did you like best?

[ChrisTaylor]

Not sure, really. I was happy with the three savoury courses, even tho' I could rattle off numerous ways to improve the flavour and presentation both. Little things here and there. Using pork stock instead of water in the raisin and onion sauce, for instance (the recipe calls for water, mind you). I really need to get that sous vide setup. The pork would've been better. And, too, next time I'd track down cheeks or at least use thick strips of boneless pork belly as opposed to the thin, BBQ-style spare ribs.

The dessert was the difficult one for me. The ganache looked terrible but tasted fine. The shortbread base, too, worked as intended ... but I really needed the avocado puree (as opposed to the shitty $9 oil, which I'll struggle to find other uses for), lime zest and proper licorice powder. Even if I couldn't have got the latter, at the very least I should've tried dicing the licorice lollies. Then I would've ended up with texture and more flavour.

[Ann_T]

Everyone has such interesting and varied dinners.

Rarerollingobject, I need to try cauliflower roasted and seasoned just the way you did yours. Your Thai Salad is so vibrant I can almost taste the colours. Does that make sense?

Sobaaddict, what a beautiful piece of fish.

Bruce, as always your meals really appeal to me.

Dejah, I sure your vegetarian lasagna is delicious, but it is the carnivores version I would like a serving of.

Blether, that is one beautiful Roast.

Robirdstx, I don't think I've seen a more perfectly cooked duck breast. Wow!

Thursday night I grilled a small prime rib , like a steak and the only side was Frites served with a garlicky dip seasoned with parmesan cheese and lots of black pepper.

Last night was boned chicken breasts with a mushroom duxelle under the skin. Sides - steamed and buttered radishes, leeks and zucchini.

[mgaretz]

With all the buzz about sous vide, I thought I would give it a try. Not wanting to invest in equipment, I did the "poor man's sous vide" on the stovetop. Did a rib-eye at 132F for 2.5 hours, then about 45 seconds per side on the hot grill.

The whole steak.

Here is the steak cut.

I can't say I was impressed. The steak appeared to be done correctly but was dry (which is evidenced in picture - note the tearing). Not sure what happened.

[patrickamory]

rarerollingobject Color is such a huge part of food, and Thai food especially. The salad looks amazing and I'm sure tasted just incredible.

I've used pomelos in a recipe from Cracking The Coconut called galloping horse (mah haw) - nope I'm wrong, they were tangelos! And pork cracklings feature in the crying tiger recipe from the same book.

I think you've coaxed me into cooking Thai again tonight.

Last night was kheema with fried onions from Madhur Jaffrey's first book... served with basmati rice, homemade tomato chutney, lime pickle and steamed spinach. That kheema is my go-to last-minute recipe because all I ever need to go buy is the ground beef (or lamb).

No good photo today.

[Jenni]

Fresh idiyappam and (kerala) vegetable stew - delicious!

[David Ross]

Pan-Fried Pork Chop, Red Cabbage and Butter-Poached Fingerling Potatoes. I used a recipe from Thomas Keller for the potatoes. It was not a good recipe-far too much time and butter for the outcome. The potatoes were soft yet had hardly any flavor from poaching in butter for nearly 2 hours in a low oven. I'll try another variation on potatoes next time.

[heidih]

David - what is your general red cabbage method?

[menuinprogress]

Pork Tenderloin with a Ras el hanout rub. Moroccan carrots. Orecchiette with arugula.

[percyn]

A very juicy and tasty Thai salad of: prawns, crispy roast pork, pomelo, mint, cashews, shredded ginger, chilli, and shallot. Dressed in fish sauce and lime juice, topped with crispy fried garlic and shallots, and served with prawn crackers for scooping.

WOW - what an amazing salad - I can almost taste it when I lick my screen

Reminds me of some of the salads I enjoyed in Thailand. Too bad we can't find pomelo easily in the US.

With all the buzz about sous vide, I thought I would give it a try. Not wanting to invest in equipment, I did the "poor man's sous vide" on the stovetop. Did a rib-eye at 132F for 2.5 hours, then about 45 seconds per side on the hot grill.

The whole steak.

Here is the steak cut.

I can't say I was impressed. The steak appeared to be done correctly but was dry (which is evidenced in picture - note the tearing). Not sure what happened.

mgaretz, how thick was th steak? I usually put a 1.5 to 2 inch thick ribeye for about 45 min at that temp (55C or 132F). Also, how did you control the temp at 132F for 2.5 hrs on the stove (I use a immersion circulator which holds the temp within 0.1C)?

Chris, congratulations on your courage to attempt the recipes from Grant's cookbook. Although I have eaten at Alinea and have the book, I lack the courage (and time) to try this at home. Bravo for your effort!

Edited April 24, 2011 by percyn (log)

[David Ross]

David - what is your general red cabbage method?

The basic recipe is sliced red cabbage stewed down with apple cider, red wine, red wine vinegar and some granulated sugar. Sometimes I'll add some grated apple and caraway seeds. I usually only season with a little salt and pinch of black pepper. It's better the longer it sits.

[C. sapidus]

Menuinprogress, that's a gorgeous photo - I picture a line of beautiful plates stretching into the distance . . .

Grilled chicken wings, brushed with a glaze of soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Grilled asparagus, marinated with olive oil and S&P. Braised fingerling potatoes with garlic and bay leaves, from All About Braising.

[mgaretz]

With all the buzz about sous vide, I thought I would give it a try. Not wanting to invest in equipment, I did the "poor man's sous vide" on the stovetop. Did a rib-eye at 132F for 2.5 hours, then about 45 seconds per side on the hot grill.

The whole steak.

Here is the steak cut.

I can't say I was impressed. The steak appeared to be done correctly but was dry (which is evidenced in picture - note the tearing). Not sure what happened.

mgaretz, how thick was th steak? I usually put a 1.5 to 2 inch thick ribeye for about 45 min at that temp (55C or 132F). Also, how did you control the temp at 132F for 2.5 hrs on the stove (I use a immersion circulator which holds the temp within 0.1C)?

The steak was thin - about 1/2 an inch. I controlled the temperature manually by small burner adjustments, being my own circulator by stirring ocassionally with a wooden spoon and using a digital thermometer. It was a very large pot of water to keep the variation to a minimum. For a few hours I played with the pot of water to find the right settings, then put in the meat. I was able to keep it within 1F - holding between 131 and 132. Not something I would want to do all the time - but I figured if it came out amazing I'd consider the investment in a Sous Vide Supreme or...

[ChrisTaylor]

Really bad photo. Shit presentation. I blame the Shiraz. Tasted fine--but not amazing--tho', so I guess that's all that counts.

Rack of lamb with a mustard crumb coating, potato gratin and sauteed Dutch carrots.

[kayb]

A BLT on sourdough with avocado, made with wonderful greenhouse-grown tomatos from an organic farmer nearby.

[PopsicleToze]

A BLT on sourdough with avocado, made with wonderful greenhouse-grown tomatos from an organic farmer nearby.

Kay, your sandwich looks fantastic. Haven't found any decent tomatoes yet here.

[rarerollingobject]

Mushroom foraging this weekend, so with my bounty of saffron milkcaps, I made pancetta, thyme and chicken risotto. Pan frying the milkcaps separately in butter and adding them in at the end so as not to dilute their pure, sweet taste.

[Ann_T]

HAPPY EASTER

[Kim Shook]

HAPPY EASTER

Gorgeous, Ann! Can we have another picture when you 'crack' them open?

Happy Easter to all!

Edited April 24, 2011 by Kim Shook (log)

[dcarch]

Jenni, the idiyappam and (kerala) vegetable stew is so great looking. I am thankful of all the creative vegetable dishes you post.

ChrisTaylor, very impressive Alinea inspired dinner. So elegant!. Nothing wrong with your rack of lamb either.

Blether, lovely lamb shoulder.

Dejah, both vegetarian and carnivore lasagna look delicious.

robirdstx, Wow! Nice duck breast with incredible skin treatment.

David Ross, nice plating for the pork chop dish.

Kim, very delectable PopsicleToze’s Steak.

menuinprogress, your pork tenderloin looks perfectly done.

C. sapidus, you can make a simple chicken wing dish look ,

Kayb, Is it time for BLT? I just planted my tomatoes a few days ago. I will check later and see how many ripe tomatoes I have. :-) .

rarerollingobject, Mushroom foraged saffron milkcaps, You are truly amazing. Thai salad, I will say it again, no one can out do you in the art of salad making.

Ann_t, Happy Easter! Very tempting chocolate eggs.

-------------------------------------------

Made seafood salad, crab meat, squid and shrimps, on jicama and home-grown lettuce.

Black rice on the side.

dcarch

[gfweb]

Easter lunch.

Spinach salad with pickled onions and Hazelnut vinaigrette.

Deviled eggs.

Tilapia with pimenton spiced crab salad, chive mashed potatoes (done by the Steingarten retrograde method which was perfect), sauteed orange pepper and fennel shoots.

Plum tart.

Sorry about some photos, I haven't got using my Droid camera down pat yet.

[Paul Bacino]

Bacon Ramps with Stuffed shells and Braciole!!

[patrickamory]

Last night I made Julie Sahni's fragrant yogurt-braised chicken (dahi murghi). Utterly delicious, but I find it impossible to photograph this dish attractively, so no visual proof.

Tonight I tried pat prik king (dry curry of pork with snake beans) from David Thompson. I had no rendered pork fat so used coconut oil; no grachai so used young ginger; no pla grop so used crumbled crispy fish from a Thai snack package for the paste; no holy basil (impossible to find in NYC right now!) so used Thai basil.

Despite all the substitutions, this turned out well. Served with sticky rice.

Btw, I wanted to make something like the dry curry of lamb and pumpkin I had at Jitlada in LA recently - this was not it; this recipe (as the name makes clear) is more akin to the "spicy beef basil" (insert name of protein in middle) available in American Thai restaurants. I wonder whether anyone has a recipe like the southern curry from Jitlada? Bone dry and blisteringly hot, with the pumpkin and lamb flavors fully to the fore.